Drama performance - World debut of Holzinger's "Sancta" production commemorated
Popular performance artist Florentina Holzinger has once again sparked debate with her latest creation, titled "Sancta." The show had its debut at the crowded Mecklenburg State Theater in Schwerin, where attendees cheered and celebrated for the nearly three-hour display that merged biblical history with a blend of fast-paced and daring acts.
As the performance drew to a close, a large portion of the audience of 520 people, whose tickets had been sold out, engaged in a group singalong. Their chosen song, "Don't dream it, be it," is reminiscent of the cult musical film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," which emphasizes the message of living out one's dreams instead of merely imagining them.
Having already made waves with previous productions like "Ophelia's Got Talent" in 2022 at the Berlin Volksbühne and "Tanz" in 2019 in Vienna, Holzinger's ambitious first opera endeavor fits perfectly with her past successes. The international collaboration, "Sancta," will have four more runs, first at the Vienna Festwochen in mid-June, then in Stuttgart, and lastly, in Berlin by the end of the year.
The production kicks off with Paul Hindemith's brief opera one-act, "Sancta Susanna," which drew controversial attention when it initially premiered due to a sister's devotion to the crucified Jesus. It then smoothly transitions into a scandalous church service. The actors, most of whom are virtually unclothed, portray their roles while singing liturgical hymns by the Schwerin Theater Choir, as well as pop, metal, or artistically crafted tracks. Holzinger depicts lesbian love on stage with utter clarity, satirizes Christian ceremonies, and criticizes the oppression of women's sexuality.
Intriguingly, roller skaters parade naked through a halfpipe, performers wreck the iconic fresco of Michelangelo's God and Adam on a giant climbing wall, and the Holy Eucharist evolves into a rave. A little person assumes the role of the Pope with delight and a human skin flap becomes a consecrated relic, which is then recreated as a communion wafer - a provocative blasphemy and an impassioned plea for major changes in the Catholic Church. Holzinger had voiced her concerns about the church's unjust portrayal of women and its failure to provide sufficient clarity on abuse situations before the Schwerin premiere.
Holzinger has disrupted the theater scene for years, as she showcases wild and liberated female forms, endures challenging stunts, and embraces the unfettered usage of trash. The 1986-born choreographer has been an integral part of the Berlin Volksbühne since 2021 and also piqued curiosity as a potential successor to the surprisingly deceased director René Pollesch.
